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Home , Giovanni Baldelli

A IX ilO T 21 1971 Vol 32 No U

SCOTLAND GO ALONE pRESS REPORTS INDICATE— ourselves. area independent of Westminster, set would he: is it useful? Not. is it Eventually there would have to :ind comrades on ihe spot con­ If a legal sanction is needed, why up an assembly of workers* dele­ profitable? First priority would be be a moneyless economy—but for firm it—that almost the entire popu­ not ask Ihe people for their views? gates (not political parties as such) the provision of food, clothes and a while no doubt money would be lation of Glasgow, Clydebank and Why not a referendum of everyone from the factories, the*streets, the shelter for all—not luxuries for some necessary to buy food from the the surrounding industrial area of in the area? Glasgow Corporation schools and universities, the hospi­ and a room in a tenement for the farmers and to conduct a certain Clydeside fully support the action could be asked to organise it. but tals. and from the farmers, and rest. The children, the old and the amount of foreign trade. But as of UCS workers in refusing to sub­ if they won't then surely the UCS then get down to the Pflfract ic a I sick would have to be provided with rapidly as possible there would mit to being thrown on the dole. It workers could do it themselves? task of building a Ftfiefc exactly the same living standards surely have to be common store­ is not surprising. Unemployment in Any costs could be met from collec­ Community. as everyone else. It would mean re­ houses of all the necessities from constructing the whole area, building which all could take what they the area is running at more than tions taken all over Britain. Hie NOT POLITICAL TALK 10 per cent of the male population question on the referendum could decent homes, schools, hospitals, needed. Clydeside is rich in skills, and on Clydebank, if the shipyards be simple: do you agree that the Such an enterprise 1 would n't be parks and play spaces, and cleaning in industrial plant and in raw ma­ arc closed down as planned, it will people should run their own affairs as easy as the present course of or­ up the filth, decay and pollution terials like coal and water and pro­ reach slump proportions of more —yes or no! The actual voting ganising token strikes and petitions left by a hundred years of capitalist bably iron, and of course it has a than 18 per cent. would have to be preceded by a to the Westminster Government or exploitation. great seaport. There is absolutely Every industry is affected, not period of discussion in which meet­ the TUC— but at least it would have There would be no unemployed. no reason at all why a Clydeside only shipbuilding but mining, steel, ings could be held in all the fac- the advantage of involving every­ The idea is preposterous. There Free Community should not survive motors, engineering, thread-making, torias. the shipyards, the schools, one in positive and practical action. would be jobs for all—and. I am and prosper, once freed front the the lot. Clydeside is the worst hit the streets, and everyone would be Not political talk, hut serious action sure, with very much reduced hours dead hand of government and the but the whole of is be­ free to pul his point of view*. to make the independent community of w-ork. Factor)' work could alter­ ravages of private profit-making. ginning to suffer the blight of un­ When the decision was finally thrive in the interests of iU members. nate with work in the fields. The There would be problems galore lo employment. Pleas to the Govern­ made—and assuming that it went Naturally, the sort of things such whole idea would be to abandon overcome, and the biggest of all ment to invast in the area have in favour of carrying on production a community would produce would the senseless idea of ‘growth’ at would be the feeling of lots of ordi­ fallen on deaf cars. Having plun­ despite ihc wishes of the Government not be the same as it produces now- all costs in favour of the human nary people that they just couldn't dered Scotland of its forests, its raw —then it would only remain to de­ under the rule of private capital idea of providing a pleasant environ­ run things themselves without dircc- materials, and exploited its labour clare C'lvdcside and its surrounding and private profit-making. The test ment for all to enjoy. > ap*C t4 for a hundred years, capital is now concentrating, centralising, and forming multi-national companies which seek their profits in the Mid­ land*;, in the South East and—above ..... all—in the Common Market. As they see it. Scotland will become a proving ground for modem arma­ ments and the only industry will be Neither Pope/ ’ Nor Profit the exploitation of its great natural beauty for the benefit of rich tourists If this happens then, as one eco­ rpHII STORMONT GOVERNMENTS daries. and only the people can create an nomist has recently declared, about ■k decision to resort to internment with­ alternative. two million Scottish workers will out trial illustrates the fragility of our so-called ‘democratic institutions*. With A REAL ALTERNATIVE have to emigrate or starve. The Mr. Heath's agreement, the government Both Catholics and Protestants must only export trade left will be whisky of Mr. Faulkner is enacting measures unite, as they have to a limited extent and shortbread. which arc so deplored when utilised in their trade unions, to force the British by totalitarian regime*. Nothing shows troops out of Ireland. If a West of IS THIS DEMOCRACY? more clearly that all governments ul­ Scotland Workers* Council existed and It is absurd, ridiculous, and down­ timately need and use undemocratic started to take over industry as proposed right immoral that the lives of thou­ methods when their power is threatened. in last week's F reedom , British troops Governments arc quick lo condemn the would be needed on the Clyde and this sands of working men and their use of violence when it is directed at would have assisted those struggling for families should thus be placed in their power, but they hold a near mono­ freedom in Ireland. It would create a jeopardy by decisions taken in some poly and arc quick to use it against any real alternative to this present rotten ‘corridor of power* hundreds of adversity.m system that divides man against man miles away in London or Brussels. All the major political panics in this and show the way to co-operation. Wo Yet such is the ease in this so-called country, the national press and probahl> all have the task of ending the British democratic State. The people’s views most of the general public have sup­ occupation and assisting those in Ireland * count for nothing. How does tiic ported the internment decision. At best who seek an alternative to the capitalist Government hope to gel away with they sec it as a regrettable necessity. The exploitation of man by man. outcry that followed similar methods While one can understand the attitudo it? True they have all the appara­ of the IRA. they are nationalists first tus of force and coercion at their used in Aden. Cyprus and Nyasaland bears no comparison. Perhaps the threat and socialists second. In the north they disposal, but not even this collec­ are very anti-Protestant and it is little tion of Tory rascals can relish is too near home for comfort and so they are willing to condone ‘undemocratic wonder that those of that faith fear.them. the idea of using force to com­ methods*. Slogans shouted on Sunday’s march, pel the workers to give up the ship­ in support of the IRA. by ‘left socialists’, yards and go on the dole. That I'D AND CIVIL RIGI I IS show how opportunist and unprincipled would surely create a Bogside on MOVEMENT they arc. The IRA arc an authoritarian organisation who are out to impose Clydeside. It would seem, there­ It is also very doubtful whether intern­ fore. that if the workers of Clydeside their solution on the situation without ment has brought the desired results. letting the mass of the people of the stand firm and refuse to evacuate Far from rounding up Ihc hard core of north decide. the yards they will win the battle IRA provisionals, the authorities cast A campaign of mass civil disobedience without any bloodshed at all. their nets very wide and included six Mr. Lynch has. also tried to pass exist between the two religious commu­ and resistance to internment and the UCS workers are. in effect, telling members of the People's Democracy anti-trade union legislation and despite nities. It is causing many Catholic legalised murder by British troops is the Government to go to hell. That Central Comiltcc and the moderate civil opposition, his Prohibition of Forcible families to move south and the Pro­ being mounted. The refusals to pay rent is fine—but why stop there? If the rights movement. The ease with which Entry and Occupation Bill has become testants lo get out of the predominantly and rates to municipal authorities, backed majority of the people in this part an IRA provisional member turned law. Catholic areas for both of them fear up by industrial action (a one-day strike up and spoke at a press conference of Scotland think the Government B> condemning internment in the reprisals. Bigoted religious faiths sep­ has already taken place in Derry), would shows that the British troops have North, he has kept Jjhc initiative and arate people who could equally fill this hurt the Stormont and Westminster is wrong, that it has deserted the hardly scratched the surface. While headed off those whojwonld have sent vacuum with an alternative. people in the interests of Big Busi­ harder than the nationalist aims of the Mr. Lynch s government in Dublin re­ Eircann troops to thnjpordcr. His con­ All governments maintain their power IRA. Solidarity with such a campaign ness. then why not gel on with fuses to enact the same measures, it is ference of ‘all interested parlies* is yet by dividing their peoples. Nation stales could be given by workers in this country producing things that people need— doubtful whether ihc internments will another ploy to aid his survival, while arc in fact two nations within one geo­ and in Eire. without the Government, without stop the IRA. he knows that Mr. Faulkner will not graphical area, those that own and Con­ Neither Belfast. Dublin nor West­ employers, and without private It is ironic that both Mr. Faulkner survive if he agrees to such a deal. trol the economic wealth and those who minster can reform away capitalist ex­ profit-making? Surely, if the and Mr. Lynch desperately need to find With both the governments of the produce this same wealth. The police ploitation. When this is realised, then Government’s intention is clearly to common ground lo co-opcrntc and yet North and the South in a political cleft and the armed forces arc there to see we will have a revolutionary situation sacrifice Clydeside to the overall both are held captive by factions within stick, the tragedy is that there is no thut this situation is maintained. But and the institutional violence of the plans of capital, it,is high time that their governments. Mr. Lynch’s con­ alternative at the moment to fill Ihe both Ihc Stormont and the Dail have State will be used here as well as in demnation of internment and his state­ vacuum. Protestants, incensed by the used what in most countries is an out­ Ireland. the Government was ignored and P.T. the people took matters into* their ment that the Stormont w-as 'incapable of shootings and their fears. of the IRA, dated method of maintaining power, re­ ligion. All is •n^j stnfyrberries and crfc,vn *r own hands. All..that is .required is just government and contemptuous of the are likely to really join in the fighting. norms of British democracy to which they Gun battles between people of different •in tho. Catholic south and sobolh fear ^'P D ’tftptpen Free •CtrfrmMmj' been that we lose the ingrained habit of pretend allegiance* is sheer hypocrisy. religions faiths are the last thing that ific pcdplcr j^riro^ctrtjm itje^ |p„£hflngcClosed down*but-has been-printed here as fwJmy^teMthpriiy' HQ/ i ngs^o r Qpl*. ct£tu months ago, he .threatened:, the anarchists would want to happen, but jbtQg& n Bvo i^ g o v ’Qflmicnto. jhaM ^ o Unj+te -Gioint** Fvinds can be "-sent to lis rather than doing things for same measures. at the same time a blind prejudice does keep the two nations within their boun­ People's Democracy, c/o Freedom Pres*. MIRIAM BENKOVITZ' biography of Ronald Firhank will probably he ihc Iasi for a long number of year* PART II] for this graceful man \w n minor artist. Bui ii it an important book for Pork. Firs 4 Firbonk il brings out of their hbioric.il isolation persecuting god-lover, for they show t this small group of homosexual, slightly moral collapse of a dying mun. in Great Newport Street. Yet. tike tipsy butterfly men who made up a accept my word that The Prince* t even Hcardilcu» Ji.tum p *•’ 'v*kc *hc In 1896 Beardsley wrote to Smi literary and artistic coicric of the |«*20Y drooping eye.’ S.Klur-M:i^cb was n nil the mass-produced rtayboy type of {'My dear SmitherO that he 'sent f Zouharof} is the better play. At a lime following verse to a lady who liked We have grown 1o accept those sad years when every hack who can hold a ball­ sad dog of the ivj*e one find' advertising soft porn or the hnrd pom from Sweden, at the sumping ground of the self- point pen is defining pornography and.‘or in those little 'duplicated